Wool sleepwear and bedding have been shown to improve sleep quality.
Wearing wool sleepwear improves sleep quality
The latest study conducted by researchers at The University of Sydney has found adults wearing wool sleepwear fell asleep in just 12 minutes compared with 22 and 27 minutes for those wearing polyester and cotton.
“Wool helps regulate your body temperature, keeping you in what is known as 'the thermal comfort zone' for longer,” explains Associate Professor Chin Moi Chow from The University of Sydney. “You therefore not only fall asleep quicker, but also have deeper, less fragmented sleep.”
The study found these benefits were most relevant to older and poorer sleepers.
The effect of sleepwear and bedding on sleep at ambient temperatures
An earlier study, also conducted by The University of Sydney researched the effects of sleepwear fibre type and bedding on sleep at ambient temperatures of 17°C and 22°C.
Seventeen healthy young adults underwent 9 nights of polysomnography testing and found the time it took to fall asleep was significantly shortened when sleeping in superfine Merino wool, with trends of increased total sleep time and sleep efficiency compared to cotton sleepwear.
The group fell asleep faster on average when wearing Merino wool, taking 11 minutes whereas it took 15 minutes on average in cotton,. The research paper was published in the journal Nature and Science of Sleep (2016).
Merino wool bedding products officially recognised as asthma & allergy friendly®
The international certification body Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) has officially recognised bedding products made from Merino wool as asthma & allergy friendly®.
The development of the new certification standard (ASP: 02-25/101) was supported by peer-reviewed scientific papers and consultation with subject matter experts in the field of asthma and allergies.
The new asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Addendum for bedding containing Merino wool (ASP:02-25/101) was approved by the ASL Scientific Committee, reviewed by an independent panel of medical experts in the field of asthma and allergies and is now available for bedding manufacturers to test their products against and become certified.